As he watched the media horde head to dressing room stall in the far corner, Alex Tanguay couldn't resist.

"Mikael Backlund won't be unavailable for comments. You can follow him on Twitter," the Calgary Flames winger said with uproarious laughter.

Backlund, who's known for chatting through the social media outlet, let it be known in the morning he was going with the team on its road trip to Chicago.

He's finally been cleared for action from the broken finger he suffered during a practice prior to the season opener.

He was then on the ice for practice between Tanguay and Jarome Iginla, the spot he was pencilled to be prior to suffering the injury.

"It's almost like Christmas for me," Backlund said. "It's gonna be great to play.

"It's been a long time. I'm pumped to be on the trip and back on the ice."

Backlund tried to play it cool as to whether he'd play Friday's game against the Blackhawks. However, head coach Brent Sutter said he fully expects to see the 22-year-old centre in action.

"He's a good player - a good, solid, two-way player - and hopefully, he can form some chemistry with Tangs and Jarome," Sutter said. "We have missed him with him being out of the lineup."

Certainly, Iginla and Tanguay have had their share of struggles.

That sounds like heady talk for a player who netted 10 goals and 25 points in 73 games during his rookie season, but Backlund did collect four points in the last two games of the 2010-11 campaign on that line.

"He is a quick guy and creative with that offensive instinct. I think he'll be a good boost for our team," Iginla said. "Last year, we were able to find some good chemistry as a line and - if we're playing together - hopefully, we will be able to keep going where we left off."

To make room for Backlund on the roster, which won't be effective until Friday morning, the Flames put left winger Niklas Hagman on waivers. If Hagman goes unclaimed, he and his US$3-million salary will likely be sent to the AHL Abbotsford Heat.

Backlund hasn't played since the pre-season, but he spent the last six weeks recovering from the injury, which required a pair of surgeries.

It's likely he'll need time to get up to pace of the NHL's regular season, but everybody is hoping his enthusiasm will help overcome any issues.

"We built some chemistry last year. He knows what to expect," Tanguay said. "There will be a bit of an adjustment period for him, but it's not like he's a guy who's got a foot injury and hasn't been skating. He's been skating the whole time and will have great form."

Backlund, who has been skating for about a month, said he is raring for action after spending so many weeks skating with other injured players.

"I feel ready. Feels good, and I'm fresh and ready to go," he said. "It's a big opportunity for me. It's two great players, top players in the league for a long time. It'll be fun to play with them, if that's the case."

As for what he'll be saying to his followers on Twitter, Backlund said likely not much.

"Probably nothing because we're flying," he said. "I did tweet this morning I was going on the trip. I was excited, and fans like things like that."